Watauga, Texas
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1894 and the latest in 1995. It stands in the Northeast Tarrant census division. It lies in ZIP code area 76148. It stands on Whites Branch. The Survey maps it on the Haltom City quadrangle. 23,650 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 607 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresWatauga grew from 23,497 to 23,650 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 23,497 | |
| 2020 | 23,650 | +153 (+1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 18 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1894 USGS Fort Worth quadrangle1:125000, 3 printings
- 1954 USGS Dallas quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1955 USGS Haltom City quadrangle1:24000, 6 printings
- 1955 USGS Haltom City quadrangle1:62500
- 1958 USGS Dallas quadrangle1:250000
- 1985 USGS Fort Worth quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1995 USGS Haltom City quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
106 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 106 fires within 5 miles of Watauga between 2005 and 2020, burning about 261 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 90 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 2014 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | DEEN |
| 24 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | WESTERN CENTER |
| 20 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | MISTY RIDGE |
| 14 September 2015 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | Texas A & M Forest Service | E LONG |
| 9 August 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | BASSWOOD |
| 8 August 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | N BEACH |
| 24 August 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | HWY 35 S |
| 23 August 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Texas A & M Forest Service | MARK IV |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Watauga: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williams Sand and Gravel Midway Rd | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
48 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Watauga in 48 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 25 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $200,000 | Seventy to seventy-five MPH winds were estimated along and just north of Loop 820 from Highway 377/Denton Highway to near Holiday Lane. These strong winds damaged several business signs and the roof of a commercial building at Loop 820 and Rufe Snow Drive. Several large trees and power poles were also knocked down along Rufe Snow Drive north of Loop 820. In the neighborhood around Richland Hills High School, many large tree limbs were broken, a few power poles were leaning about 20 degrees, and some trees were either split or knocked down. One tree fell on a house and damaged the roof. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $70,000 | Large sections of metal roofing were peeled off of department store structures. Time was estimated via radar. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $60,000 | Damage was reported to an indoor sporting complex and a warehouse building, including partial loss of metal roofing. A boat and storage trailer were also overturned. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $50,000 | A 67 MPH wind gust was measured at the National Weather Service Office. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roof from a strip shopping center and an industrial building. Thunderstorm winds also downed trees and powerlines. |
| May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $50,000 | A carport and patio roof was destroyed, and fences and tree limbs were blown down by thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $40,000 | An area of enhanced thunderstorm winds damaged trees and a few homes in North Richland Hills stretching from Dewsbury Street to Richfield Park. The wind speeds are consistent with winds around 70-75 mph. Two homes sustained significant damage when the strong winds pushed the garage doors in, causing damage to the rest of the house. Other scattered tree damage was noted in the remainder of the neighborhood. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Watauga | $30,000 | Hail stones up to the size of ping pong balls fell in Watagua for 15 minutes. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $10,000 | A wind gust of 73 MPH was measured at the Dallas/Fort Worth National Weather Service Forecast Office. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Watauga | $10,000 | Nickel to half dollar size hail fell at the NWS Office in north Fort Worth. |
| March 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $8,000 | A social media report indicated a 62 MPH wind gust in Watauga. |
| April 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $7,000 | A 70 MPH wind gust was measured at the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth, TX. |
| April 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $7,000 | Wind speeds near Hwy 377 and Watauga Road were estimated at 60+ MPH. |
| March 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $5,000 | The Tarrant Regional Water District's wind anemometer located on a tower at the NWS Fort Worth office measured a 57 mph wind gust. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $5,000 | Peak winds of 59 mph were measured at the Fort Worth NWS Office. |
| October 1996 | Flash Flood | Watauga | $4,000 | no account filed |
| October 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $3,000 | A 63 mph wind gust was recorded by the RSOIS equipment at the NWS Fort Worth Forecast Office. |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Watauga | $3,000 | Lightning caused an apartment fire at the 5300 block of Fossil Creek Boulevard. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $2,000 | Broken tree limbs outside the NWS Fort Worth/WGRFC office. |
| August 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | $1,000 | A measured wind gust of 67 MPH occurred at the NWS office in Fort Worth, TX, which produced minor roof damage at the office. |
| August 2005 | Lightning | Watauga | $500 | Lightning split a large tree in half, causing it to fall on and destroy a bench in Buffalo Ridge Park. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | Multiple social media reports indicated several trees down along Western Center from Interstate 35 to Beach Street in north Fort Worth. |
| March 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A 70 mph wind gust was measured at the NWS Fort Worth office. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Watauga | - | Ping pong ball sized hail was reported at the NWS Fort Worth Office. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Watauga | - | Quarter sized hail was reported near Basswood Dr. and Teal Dr. |
| April 2020 | Hail | Watauga | - | Hail report received via mPing. |
| March 2019 | Hail | Watauga | - | Quarter-sized hail was measured at the National Weather Service office in North Fort Worth, TX. |
| March 2019 | Hail | Watauga | - | Half dollar sized hail was measured a few miles north of the NWS Fort Worth Office. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 70 MPH approximately 2 miles north-northwest of Haltom City, TX. |
| April 2018 | Hail | Watauga | - | Amateur radio reported quarter-sized hail in the city of Watauga, TX. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Watauga | - | Quarter-sized hail was reported at the National Weather Service Office in North Fort Worth. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A 58 MPH wind gust was measured at the NWS office in Fort Worth, TX. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A one foot diameter tree was downed on North Beach St., north of Interstate 820 and south of Fossil Creek Blvd. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A thunderstorm wind gust of 58 MPH was measured at the NWS office in Fort Worth. Trees limbs were broken off just north of the office near Beach Street and Fossil Creek Blvd. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A 58 MPH wind gust was measured at the Weather Forecast Office. |
| April 2008 | Flash Flood | Watauga | - | A foot of water was reported at the intersection of Meacham Boulevard and Old Denton Road. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Watauga | - | Penny to nickel-size hail was reported at the intersection of Highway 377 and Hightower Road. |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | A 12 inch diameter tree was blown down. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watauga | - | Thunderstorm winds downed trees. No dollar estimate of damage was reported. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Watauga | - | Quarter-size hail fell in downtown Fort Worth. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| October 2004 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| April 1999 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Watauga | - | no account filed |
| November 1996 | Flash Flood | Watauga | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Richland Hills | 2.1 miles | 20 | |
| Smithfield | 2.3 miles | 20 | |
| Richland Hills | 3.2 miles | 20 | |
| Melody Hills | 3.5 miles | 18 | |
| Haltom City | 4.1 miles | 18 | |
| Blue Mound | 4.5 miles | 18 | |
| Hurst | 5.1 miles | 20 | |
| Keller | 5.3 miles | 16 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Watauga | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q982228 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1376659. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.






